Apparatus for ordering tobacco



m0 Model.) 2 Sheet-8heet 1 O. D. CAMPBELL. APPARATUS FOR ORDERING TOBACCO.

No. 566,916. Patented Mar. 24, 1896.

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' (No moal.) 2 Sheets--Sheet G. D. CAMPBELL.

APPARATUS FOR ORDERING TOBAGOO.

No. 556,916. Patented Mar. 24, 1896.

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CHARLES D. CAMPBELL, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

APPARATUS FOR ORDERING TOBACCO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 556,916, dated March 24, 1896.

Application filed September 17, 1894:. Serial No. 523,300 (No model.)

To cal; whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES D. CAMPBELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Louisville,in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented a certain new and useful Lmorovemnt in Apparatus for Ordering Tobacco; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descripiion of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

This invention. relates to the moistening, ordering or conditioning of rooms or chambers in the treatment or handling of tobacco or other analogous leafy or fibrous materials.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple and eflicient apparatus for moistening or humidifying the atmosphere of such rooms or chambers during the continuous circulation of such atmosphere through the chain bers, and in which means is employed for imparting humidity to such atmosphere that admits not only of a positive and accurate adjustment of the amount of humidity afforded, but which also is capable of using other liquids than water as a humidizing agent, such as flavors or other drugs that bonefit the tobacco or other analogous material in process of working, as will hereinafter more fully appear and be more particularly pointed out in the claims. I attain such objects by an apparatus arranged and constructed in substantially the same manner as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of an apparatus adapted for the practical carrying on of the present invention; Fig. 2, an enlarged detail sectional elevation of the humidizing or spraying appliance and its connections; Fig. 3, a plan view of the same.

Similar numerals of reference indicate like parts in the several views.

material that requires moistening or conditioning before or during process of working or manufacture.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the main chamber, of any required size and proportions, but usually in the form of an elongated horizontal chamber or tunnel, having entrance and exit doors 3 and a at the ends for the entrance and withdrawal of the material that is intended to undergo a progressive treatment. In cases Where a progressive or continuous treatment is not required or desired the end doors 3 and tmay be omitted and other means provided for the introduction and removal of the material, as well as for the handling or otherwise manipulating the same while contained within such chamber.

In the ordering or conditioning of leaf-tobacco it is preferable to support the same upon a series of racks mounted on movable trucks, so as to be capable of movement through the main chamber, so that the pro cess may be continuous, a truck of untreated tobacco being introduced at one end, while a truck of treated tobacco is removed at the other end, through the end doors 3 and 4.

2 isa return trunk or chamber arranged parallel with the main chamber 1 and connected to the same at opposite sides or ends, so as to extend from end to end of the main chamber either at the top, bottom, side or sides of the same in a horizontal manner, or vertically from top to bottom thereof, as circumstances or the judgment of the constructor may suggest. This return-chamber will approximate the main chamber in its sectional area, so as to offer but a minimum frictional resistance to the endless or continuous circuit of the contained atmosphere through the two chambers in the practical use of the apparatus, the object being to produce as little com pression of the moving body of air aspossible. The avoidance of such compressions and subsequent expansions of the air is of material importance in the operation of the present apparatus in that changes and variations in the normal and required temperature within the apparatus are prevented.

5 is an air-propeller of any usual and suitable type, usually a rotary exhaust-fan, as

shown, which is arranged within the return trunk or chamber 2 and preferably at the point of inlet from the main chamber into the return-chamber, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

6 is the humidizing appliance for impartin g moisture to the moving body of air within the chambers of the apparatus, and in the present improvement such appliance will be of the following construction:

7 is a main pressurechamber of the atomizer, having an outlet-neck 8 communicating with the interior of the return chamber or trunk, communication between such press- 11 re-chamber and outlet-neck being controlled by a valve 9, as shown.

10 isa supply or atomizing pipe entering the outlet-neck at right angles to the bore thereof, its other end being attached to a suitably arranged tank 11 containing the water or other liquid used in moistening or humidifying the moving body of air within the chamber of the apparatus.

12 is a supply-pipe carrying a supply of compressed air to the pressure-chamber 7 and having a valve 18, by which such supply is controlled and regulated. 14 is a similar supply-pipe carrying a supply of steam to the pressure-chamber 7 and having a valve 15, by which such supply is regulated and controlled. IVith this improved arrangement compressed air alone may be used as an atomizing agent and by its expansion within the return chamber or trunk of the apparatus reduce the temperature of the moving body of air proportionately to the amount of compressed air discharged therein, it being the intention to use compressed air alone as an atomizing agent in cases where there is'a tendency of the body of moving air to become heated in its circuit through the apparatus, as will be the case in many of the various uses to which the present invention is adapted. In like manner steam alone may at times be used as an atomizing agent where it is desired to correct any tendency to undcrfall of temperature of the moving body of air in circuit through the apparatus, which will occur in some other of the many uses to which the present invention is adapted.

In no case, however, with the present construction will the steam pass as steam into the chambers of the apparatus, owing to the fact that the spray or mist that it generates in its discharge will abstract so much of its temperature as to reduce it to a mist or spray of a like nature and a uniform temperature of the whole. In like manner steam and air of the any required relative proportion may be used in a combined manner, so as to produce and maintain any desired degree of temperature in the moving body of air, regardless of the conditions that may exist within the apparatus during the progress of the pro- AA M.

cess of moistening, ordering, or conditioning the contents of the main room or chamber.

I am aware that prior to my invention a process of ordering tobacco has been used. and which consisted in continuously spraying water into the presence of air to produce a humid atmosphere, agitating and uniformly and continuously forcing the same into the presence of tobacco to dampen the surface and body thereof, causing successively the air deprived of a portion of its humidity to be presented to an atmosphere adapted to revivify the same and conveying it again into the pres ence of the tobacco to eifect the ordering there of, and also that prior to my invention an apparatus has been employed in such process in which was combined a main chamber, a return-chamber connected with the same at opposite ends, an agitating device for maintaining a continuous circulation of air through said chambers in one direction and an atomizing appliance for moistening the said circulating body of air. I therefore make no claim to either such process or apparatus broadly; but,

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In an apparatus for moistening, ordering or conditioning tobacco, and other like leafy and fibrous materials, the combination of a main chamber, a return-chamber, connected with the same at opposite ends, an airpropeller for maintaining a continuous circulation of air through the said chambers in one direction and means located in the returnchamber for moistening the passing body of air, the same consisting of an atomizinginjector, provided with a compressed-air-supply pipe 12, and a steam-inlet pipe 14, controlled by valves 13 and 15, substantially as set forth.

2. In an apparatus for moistening, order ing or conditioning tobacco, and other like leafy and fibrous materials, the combination of a main chamber, a return-chamber, con nected with the same, at opposite ends, an airpropeller for maintaining a continuous cir culation of air, through the said chambers in one direction and means located in the returnchamber for moistening the passing body of air, the same consisting of an atomizing-injector, having a regulating-valve 9, a compressed-air-inlet pipe 12, and a steam-inlet pipe 14, controlled by valves 13 and 15, substantially as set forth.

In testimony of said invention witness my hand this 7th day of September, 1894.

O. D. CAMPBELL. In presence of ROBERT BURNS, HARRY O. MALLERY. 

